The European Commission has authorized Dutch State aid that aims to encourage the development of inland waterways transportation by improving the technical characteristics of inland navigation vessels.

The aid has a total budget of Euros 0.6 million and concerns the research and the economic feasibility of a new type of vessel called the CompoCaNord.

This multi-purpose, lightweight, composites-hulled inland shipping vessel will have a shallower draft than a steel vessel, which translates into higher speeds or lower fuel consumption. It will also be able to navigate at low water levels.

The Commission says that European transportation policy encourages the use of inland waterway and other environmentally friendly modes of transport to become competitive alternatives to road haulage. The European Commission aims at promoting and strengthening the competitive position of inland waterway transport, in particular by enhancing its integration into multi-modal supply chains.